Barcelona 6-1 Celta Vigo: as it happened!

Barcelona produced an extraordinary second half display, chalking up five goals to turn a close encounter into an exhibition match, with Luis Suárez sealing his hat-trick from a Lionel Messi pass – from the penalty spot

Updated

It was another day at the office for Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Neymar, who scored five of Barcelona’s six goals.
Photograph: Lluis Gene/AFP/Getty Images

For almost an hour of this game, Celta Vigo were on terms and causing far more problems than most visitors to this stadium. Even after Luis Suárez restored Barcelona’s lead with a breathtaking goal, Celta were right in the game with 15 minutes to play.

What followed was barely believable. Barcelona accelerated mercilessly, a riot of rainbow flicks, rapid-fire interplay, and for the fourth goal, an extraordinary penalty fake that you’ll probably be seeing again.

Beating Celta was far from certain at half-time; in the end, they humiliated them. Perhaps, given their recent struggles against this side, that was all part of the plan. Either way, it was quite something to behold.

Full time: Barcelona 6-1 Celta Vigo

GOAL! Barcelona 6-1 Celta Vigo (Neymar)

Thank you, and goodnight. Barcelona have been extraordinary in the second half, and Neymar wraps up a thumping victory, getting himself on the scoresheet as (you guessed it) Messi and Suárez tee him up. Through on goal, he lifts the ball daintily over Sergio, and that’s six.

Barcelona 5-1 Celta Vigo (Rakitic)

I suppose the lesson here is to never, ever annoy Barcelona. Rakitic races through a ragged Celta back line, meets Suárez’s expert through ball, and lofts the ball over the increasingly forlorn keeper.

Barcelona 4-1 Celta Vigo (Suárez)

Now this... this is something else. Messi puts the ball on the spot, about to tuck away his 300th La Liga goal... then rolls the ball to his right, allowing Suárez to steam in and slot the ball under Sergio! That is absolutely outrageous.

Penalty to Barcelona!

It’s all become too much for Celta, with Neymar rainbow flicking his way to a one-on-one which Sergio narrowly wins. Before they know it, Messi is coming at them from the other flank, and he is hauled down on the goal line. Needless, but understandable.

77 mins: Guidetti is replaced by Drazic, and earns a smattering of applause from the home supporters. Iniesta, replaced by Arda Turan, is given a more rousing send off. Suárez looked suitably sheepish after that choice bit of goal-hanging; it’s his goal though, and he’s now La Liga’s outright top scorer.

GOAL! Barcelona 3-1 Celta Vigo (Suárez)

Yes. Yes they will. Messi cuts in at speed from the right, then flicks a pass into Neymar’s path. It’s a touch overhit, but Neymar somehow rolls the ball around Sergio, then lofts the ball back across goal, all in a fraction of a second. It may have gone in anyway, but Suárez is at the far post to make sure.

73 mins: The hosts keep stroking the ball around, but Celta are patient, and then pounce in midfield, with Wass, a menacing box-to-box presence, motoring forward and firing on goal – but it’s too close to Bravo! Will they rue missing these chances?

66 mins: Oof! Guidetti has been a marvellous nuisance tonight, and he does to Mascherano what he did to Alba in the first half, muscling him off the ball effectively, setting up a shot from an angle – but a rush of blood sends it high over the bar.

62 minutes: Barcelona warming up nicely, with Suárez drilling a cross towards Neymar that Sergio collects smartly. Alves, who drew the ire of the crowd at times, looked mighty peeved to be substituted.

58 minutes: Celta can’t clear their lines, and Suárez slots the ball to Messi, then barrels into the area, anticipating an exquisite scooped pass from his team-mate, and smashing the ball past the helpless Sergio.

GOAL! Barcelona 2-1 Celta Vigo (Suárez)

57 mins: The hosts are clanking through the gears, finding almost too many bodies in the box as Neymar and Suárez get in each other’s way. Eventually, Neymar has a shot that flies thirty feet over Sergio’s goal.

55 mins: Celta so nearly hand the initiative back to Barcelona, as a misplaced pass presents the ball to Messi, thirty yards out. That, obviously, is a bad idea, and he picks out Iniesta. Only Sergio’s wrists of steel prevent his low shot from finding the net.

53 mins: Barça’s passing has been uncharacteristically askew tonight, but they almost worm their way through here. Iniesta and Neymar combine, before the Brazilian slips the ball to Messi. Celta’s defenders, swarming relentlessly, eventually stop the No10 in his tracks.

46 mins: What a goal this would have been. Or rather, what an assist, as Neymar danced past Cabral, swivelling along the goal line and leaving the centre-back on his proverbial. He cut the ball back to Suárez, whose angled shot clatters the post! Roberto, following up, can only scoop the rebound wide.

Peep!

We’ll be back under way shortly. It could be a long 45 minutes for Celta to endure, particularly as they played, and lost, a Copa del Rey semi-final on Thursday. Part of the reason Celta’s league form has stuttered in recent weeks is that – get this – they prioritised the Cup.

45 mins: Mascherano tees up Alba with a raking pass down the left wing, and his cross deflects to Neymar, stationed in the corner of the penalty area – but his shot is high, wide and hopeless, in truth.

42 mins: Neymar is felled by Hugo Mallo, who gets a booking. Three of the Celta back four on yellow cards now, which can’t be good. Another presentable free kick, close to the left-hand corner of the penalty area...